Arresting means for aeroplanes and other vehicles



Oct. 13, 1964 a. s. WIKLUND 3,152,780

AREESTING MEANS EoR AERoPLANEs AND OTHER VEHICLES Filed Jan. 9, 1965 Fig. l.

,l INVENTOR a f] /'a/if." L '1k/unal United States Patent O 7 Claims.V (Cl. 244-110) The present invention relates Ito arresting nets for aeroplanes and other vehicles and comprises two substantially horizontally extending wires arranged in vertically spaced relation and connected by a plurality of vertical cables or so-called riser cables.

The problem of haltingaeroplanes by such nets has been a relatively simple operation with previous types of aeroplanes. In recent times however, the external configuration of aeroplanes has materially changed and the aeroplanes tend to assume a more accentuated arrow Shape. This has involved greater dii'liculties in constructing suitable aeroplane-restraining nets. In addition to this, some types of aeroplanes are provided with forwardly-protruding air intakes or other obstructions located in front of the Wing edges and essentially preventing a satisfactory engagement from being attained.

TheV present invention solves the above mentioned problem as encountered in modern aeroplanes by preventing the riser cables, forming part of the net, from getting caught on or entangled with airV intakes or the like on the aeroplanes. It also enables existing nets which can no longer be used for aeroplanes of the kind just described, to be made fully capable of again functioning, by a relatively simple ksupplementary measure.

The invention is mainly characterized in that the riser cables, and all or most of them, are connected to at least one substantially horizontally extending intermedi- `ate Wire having its ends connected to pull-exerting devices adapted, when the intermediate wire is ruptured or broken by an aeroplane running into the net, to pull apart the two sections of the ruptured intermediate wire and the riser cables connected thereto thereby enabling the nose portion of the aeroplane to passY through the space formed between the separated riser cables.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

FIGS. 1 and 2 show extended nets and FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show diagrammatically, what takes place when the nose portion of an aeroplane strikes the net.

In the drawing, two horizontally extending wires 1 and 2 are disposed in verticallyy spaced relation. These wires Y constitute the main cables of the net and they are connected by vertically-extending horizontally spaced cables, j

or so-called riser cables 3. The net thus formed is carried through ropes 4 by net masts 5 which are suitably provided with pulleys 6 for the ropes 4, the ends of Which ropes are secured remote from the net. The wires 1 and 2 are interconnected at their ends and con- Y nected to brakes 7.

3,152,780 Patented Oct. 13, 1964 ICG and disposed on the aeroplane in front of the leading edges of the wings, such as forwardly-extending air intakes to the jet engines, from catching and holding the riser cables in a position unsuitable for arresting the plane, the net is provided, according to the present invention, with a horizontally-extending intermediate wire 8 which extends substantially parallel to the upper and lower net wires 1 and 2, and which is connected to the riser cables and attached at its ends to pull-exerting devices 9, which may be in the form of coil springs (FIG. 1) or weights 10 (FIG. 2). In the case of weights, the intermediate wire 8 is extended over pulleys 11. Instead of one single intermediate wire, a plurality of such wires may be used and which are disposed intermediate of the wires 1 and 2.

The intermediate wire 8 is relatively weak and is comparatively readily destructible as compared to the other wires of the net and it is also relatively stii. If coil springs or other spring elements 9 are used, then as shown in FIG. l, the outer end of the springs may be connected to a lixed point 12, and possibly also to the loop portion of the net that interconnects the wires 1 and 2.

The intermediate wire 8, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, may be additionally provided with pull-exerting devices 14 in the form of coil springs or similar spring elements located intermediate the outer pulling devices 9.

The mode of operation of the invention will be apparent from the disclosures of FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. Therein the numeral 15 designates the nose portion of an aeroplane having forwardly-extending air intakes 16, on which the riser cables of the net would be likely to get caught in the absence of the arrangement constructed in accordance -with the present invention.

Disposed on the underside of the nose 15 is a rigid element 17, such as a pitot tube, temperature-measuring head, an incident-angle pick-Dif, a wireless or navigational antenna or, in the absence of such devices, a knifeshaped element secured to the underside of the nose for the purpose of carrying out the object of the invention. As such element 17 strikes the intermediate wire 8,

disposed at a suitable level to encounter the element 17,

the wire will be cut or ruptured as shown in FIG. 5, after which the pull-exerting devices will rapidly pull apart or separate the portions of the intermediate wire S at the location of the break, the latter then carrying with them the intermediate portions of the riser cables 3, as shown in FIG. 3, thus spreading apart the riser cables and establishing an opening 1S for permitting the entry of the nose portion 15 and its air intakes so that the air intakes will clear the riser cables adjacent to the opening thus formed and the riser cables will fold themselves about the wing edges 19.

For an aeroplane moving rapidly upon landing, a very quickly-acting pull exerting means will be required. Therefore, a plurality of the pull-,exerting devices 14 may be found desirable when very long nets are employed. Where the pull-exerting devices consist of weights land pulleys, the pulleys are preferably mounted on the masts 5 which can be of the fold-down type. Upon the folding down of the masts, thereby lowering the net, the intermediate wire 8 will be relieved of its tensicnal loading. z

Having thus described a single embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not .to be restricted thereto, butV is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is: Y11. An arresting means for' aircraft and other vehicles comprising, a net having a plurality of substantially horizontal wires arranged in vertically spaced-apart relation,

ing operative when the intermediate wire is ruptured by an aircraft encounteringit, to separate the two portions of said intermediate wire, created by its rupture, and to cause some of the riser cables attached to the intermediate wire, to be drawn apart by the action of the pullexerting devices.

2. An arresting means for aircraft and other Vehicles as provided for in claim 1, and wherein the intermediate wire is provided with additional pull-exerting devices located between those that are arranged at the opposite ends of said intermediate wire.

3. An arresting means for aircraft and other vehicles as provided for in claim 1, wherein the pull-exerting devices on the intermediate Wire are connected to net portins consisting of wires extending between the ends of the horizontally-extending wires.

4. An arresting means for aircraft and other vehicles as provided for in claim 1, wherein the pull-exerting de vices are composed of springs.

5. An arresting means for aircraft and `other vehicles as provided for in claim 1, wherein the pull-exerting devices are composed of weights. y

6. An arresting means for aircraft and other vehicles as provided for in claim 1, wherein the pull-exerting devices are mounted on folding-down' masts carrying the net.

7. An arresting device for aircraft and other vehicles comprising, a net including upper and lower spacedapart, horizontally-extending wires, a plurality of spaced apart-vertically-extending riser cables located between and connecting the upper and lower wires, a horizontal intermediate wire disposed between the upper and lower wires and extending substantiallyL parallel thereto and connected to the riser cables, tensioning means for stressing the intermediate'wire, said tensioning means being eifective to exert a longitudinal -pull on said intermediate wire so that rupture of said intermediate wire by aircraft encounter will cause the broken sections of said wire to be drawn apart by the action of said tensioning means and cause the parts of said intermediate wire to exert a pull on a number of the riser cables to thereby draw said cables apart to permit the passage of the nose of ian aircraft between them.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Sweden Sept. 15, 1959 

1. AN ARRESTING MEANS FOR AIRCRAFT AND OTHER VEHICLES COMPRISING, A NET HAVING A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL WIRES ARRANGED IN VERTICALLY SPACED-APART RELATION, SAID HORIZONTAL WIRES BEING CONNECTED BY A PLURALITY OF VERTICAL, SPACED RISER CABLES, THE NET HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL INTERMEDIATE WIRE CONNECTED TO AT LEAST SOME OF THE RISER CABLES, PULL-EXERTING DEVICES CONNECTED TO SAID INTERMEDIATE WIRE, SAID PULL-EXERTING DEVICES BEING OPERATIVE WHEN THE INTERMEDIATE WIRE IS RUPTURED BY AN AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERING IT, TO SEPARATE THE TWO PORTIONS OF SAID INTERMEDIATE WIRE, CREATED BY ITS RUPTURE, AND TO CAUSE SOME OF THE RISER CABLES ATTACHED TO THE INTERMEDIATE WIRE, TO BE DRAWN APART BY THE ACTION OF THE PULLEXERTING DEVICES. 